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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Mr. L took me out to lunch at Wegman's new FOOD BAR restaurant. They changed a lovely restaurant (Tastings) into a burger joint. About the only thing that remains are the zucchini fries. (Heaven.) Was it good? Yes, it was good. Was it worth nearly $18 for two burgers and two orders of zucchini fries? No. Will we go back? Maybe ... but only for the zucchini fries.

Went to Barnes & Noble in the same plaza -- just to check up on my Booktown Mysteries. Hmm. Only five copies of four titles, which I signed. (I am extremely spoiled by my "home" B&N in Greece Ridge Center because the CRM keeps her shelves well stocked with my titles. We're talking up to 10+ of each. I love you Rebecca!!!) But, I did have a very brief but pleasant conversation with one of their sales associates who was about to go to lunch. I asked if she could see if the store had ordered copies of A Crafty Killing (which comes out on February 1st--hint, hint). She looked it up, blinked a couple of times, and said, "Twenty four copies. That's a LOT!" (It was all I could do NOT to break into a Snoopy happy dance right there and then.)

Then we went to Michaels and I raided their $1 racks. I am such a sucker for blank note cards and such. (And yes, I just visited my Greece Michaels last week and bought more stuff.) This time I bought myself a little tote bag for Malice Domestic. (I had a wonderful small canvas bag that I was given by the Mystery Lovers Bookshop after their Festival of Mystery (if you have never gone-GO!!!) in 2009 and lost last year at the Malice Domestic conference. (I could've cried!!!) I got a few other things, too. (Fun stuff. Hey, I deserve it!)

We got home and I wrote another 800 words and an email to my editor. In it I happened to ask what my print run was for A Crafty Killing. A while later the phone rang. Yes--it was from NY and it was my editor!!! He decided to answer my print run question in person. Whoa! It's 5000 more than the print run for Chapter & Hearse. (He actually said he was ASTOUNDED to learn that. Hey, no more than me.) That means my publisher (or at least their marketing department) thinks A Crafty Killing should do well. (I certainly have my fingers crossed. I need a new hot water heater and a few other repairs to be made to the house.)

Let's summerize the day:

Got my word count for the day. (YEA!)
Got taken to lunch. (YEA!)
Found out a store where I won't be signing is buying half a case of books. (YEA!)
Found out my print run would be higher than for Chapter & Hearse. (YEA!)

and -- as an added bonus it did NOT snow and no cats puked on the carpet or wood floors for the entire day.

Yup. I'd say that was a good day.

How was your day?

(P.S. Weather went down the toilet. It's snowing and we might get another 5 inches added to the 4 that fell overnight. Oh well, you can't have everything.)